A list of the most endangered animals and species

Introduction
An endangered animal is an animal that has been considered as very probable to become extinct. Because of the wanton destruction of their natural homes (habitats) by human beings, either these species are at the risk of missing out of their food chain or their geographical range becomes small. It, therefore, implies that if no action is taken to conserve them, then they will soon become a story of the past! While there are many animals/species that are threatened to becoming endangered or they are considered to be the extreme risk of extinction, here below is a list of a few:

Endangered animals

1. Australian Sea-lion
Neophoca Cinerea or Australian sea-lion is found in Australia’s south and west coasts. This animal belongs to the sea lion species and weighs about 600 lbs. The latest survey shows that the chocolate brown sea creatures were slightly over 14,000, but it is unfortunate that their population has since reduced, which makes them one of rarest sea-lion species in the earth.

2. Eastern Bristlebird
Eastern Bristlebird is also known as Dasyornis brachypterus, and it belongs to the larger family of birds. The best habits for these loud melodious birds are temperate grasslands, temperate forests, and temperate shrublands. In Australia, these birds are often found as an isolated colony in the southeastern Queensland. These species have since become endangered because they have lost their habitat as a result of frequent bush/forest fires.

3. Sandhill Dunnart
This animal lives in the porcupine grass and rolling dunes. Dunnart is slightly larger than a house mouse and it hops like a kangaroo. It feeds at night, and while it hops slowly, its speeds accelerate when chasing a hunt. This creature lives in areas with a yearly rainfall ranging from 300 to 360MM. Unfortunately, these are the conditions conducive to farming. It, therefore, implies that their habitats have been endangered by encroached farming activities.

1. Australian Possums
Abundant in Australia, Possums are mammals belonging to the marsupial group. The nocturnal creatures feed on fruits, seeds, and plants. Just like kangaroos, mother possum carries the baby in a pouch. Their habitat is a three hollow in the forest, and so they are good tree-climbers. However, they can also live under the roof of houses in urban areas. Threats of their continued existence in the world are due to loss of habitat (frequent fires in the forests) and hunting.

2. Star Finch
Star Finch is a member of estrildid finch family and they live in dry grasslands and Australian savannas. It feeds on vegetables, seeds, and fruits. The beautifully looking bird has its existence threatened due to excessive grazing of the grasslands and other agricultural activities, which result in loss of water and food.

Other threatened species include the Grey Falcon, Eastern Quoll, and Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby.

Least concern species

1. Blue Petrel
This bird belongs to the Procellariidae family. Blue Petrel is a small seabird typically found in Australia’s oceans. They are excellent water divers. They had a population of about three million as of the year 2000, but they have since been considered critically endangered.

2. Yellow-bellied Glider
This is a nocturnal mammal living in the narrow forests. Many of these creatures are found along eastern Australia, mostly in Queensland and Victoria. Smaller than a rabbit, the Yellow-bellied Glider feeds on pollen, insects, nectar, and tree sap. The primary threat to this species is the human disturbance.

1. Ghost Bat
Ghost Bats (or sometimes referred to as vampire bats) are typically known for sucking blood from small animals like lizards, mice, birds, and even smaller bats. They often found in deserts in most parts of northern Australia, where they live large cracks and caves in rocks. The quarrying and mining in their habitats threatened their existence.

2. Shark Bay Mouse
As the name suggests, this is the kind of mammal found in Australia’s Shark Bay. This mouse prefers living in sandy areas and it feeds on insects, flowers, fungi, and plants. The threat to its existence has not been fully identified, but it is believed that loss of food due to agricultural activities and grazing may be one of them.

Other vulnerable species include False Water Rat, Herald Petrel, Red Goshawk, and Mallee Fowl.

Conclusion
The list of endangered species is just endless, but those mentioned above are just a few. It has been extensively explained that the threat to the existence of most animal species is due to human activities like hunting, grazing, mining, and other agricultural activities. There is an urgent need to protect them and some of the adverse human activities should be controlled or stopped altogether.